Victorian society Essay Example for Free

puritanic society EssayThe Importance of Being Earnest, subtitled, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a comedy of manners whereby Oscar Wilde rebukes the priggish magnanimousness for their genial issues that seemingly prioritise the more or less trivial of things such as style and appearance above those of reliable significance such as. Wilde further achieves this by incorporating elements such as farce and melodrama in order to shine up their senseless main concerns.Wilde portrays the act of Being Earnest as being in opposing to its description as having features of dishonesty and false morality, with one of the main characters Algernon stating that The truth is rarely pure and never dewy-eyed. Wildes first satirical attack in the hunt down is marriage. Algernon is shown to perceive marriage to be a business deal as opposed to the projected illusion of it as described in the play as being based on mutual feelings of love (evidence Ceclily or Gwendolen).This is evi denced by Algernons sharply comical and paradoxical epigrams in response to his best friend Jack Worthings assenting of wanting to propose to Algernons own ward Gwendolen he states I thought you had come up for pleasure? I call that business. Wilde is seemingly satirising concept of marriage presenting it to be a legal take on between consenting families of similar social class and fortunes Baxley comments Wilde shows us how the upper class does non connect for love or happiness but for convenience and social standing.)Algernon views marriage in an maverick way, unlike the expectations of modern day now. He views it as a disease, one that to be bearable necessitate an escape Nothing impart induce me to part with Bunbury, and if you ever get married you will be very glad to know Bunbury. A man who marries without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious duration of it. Bunbury (who is he) is a direct metaphor for Algernons deceit and escape from social expectation. He is a untru e person one that Algernon suggests is needed in general life but indeed emphasises that this is the case most particularly when one is married.Algernon disregards Jacks confidence that once he finds love he will no longer needs a Bunburya. On one level the exchange merely is a continuation of the long running marriage gag of the Victorian notion of marriage bliss in an era where the English aristocracy was dominant and superior, and far removed even from the British kernel class. This would in turn amplify the humorous situation through Wildes blatant social criticism-through the Bunbury double entendre to the middle class audience in particular.Nevertheless, it also brings to light a darker subtext, one were Algernon insinuates that all husbands in Victorian society have and need a Bunbury thus satirising the moral values by highlighting the situation that aristocratic meaning as long as they kept within the appearance of propriety, they could lead a double life and avoid respon sibility but still keep upmost respect from society. Consequently, Oscar Wilde satirises trading and respectability simultaneously with the notion of marriage in Victorian society by demeaning their importance.Wilde could be said to be suggesting that their duty is a pun (with reference to the title of the play) and in fact the aristocracy duty is more so completely a title that entails a need for pity as opposed to awe. Perhaps this is purposely done as such a suggestion to a Victorian audience would have been deemed an outrageous concept even to the extent of offence but is accepted due(p) to the comedic light-heartedness and infantile manner in which it is presented through Algernons unrealistic approach to life and love.His ignorance and rattlepatedness, contributes to the satirical personality of the play but yet in keeping with the comedy genre due to the melodramatic and foolish aspects of his character for example She will place me next Mary Farquhar, who always flirts with her husband across the dinner-table. That is not very pleasant The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly scandalous. It looks so bad. It is entirely washing ones clean linen in public.This statement highlights the fact that Algernon recoils at the very thing that society values. His offence that the women he will be seated with flirt only with their husband and no one else evidences this. The importance of marriage instead is subverted and can be seen as simply a stipulation and social expectation that comes with the responsibilities of being in the upper class a view, which is seen as trivial and unimportant as the characters mainly view marriage as a social tool.